Accra: Ghana has reaffirmed its leadership and commitment to advancing Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) as a central strategy for achieving sustainable national development and climate resilience. 'Nature-Based Solutions are more than environmental interventions; they are development accelerators,' Mr. Peter Dery, Director of Environment at the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), said.
According to Ghana News Agency, Dr. Dery was speaking at the opening of the maiden Africa Climate Dialogue, organised by the Africa Centre for Nature-Based Climate Action (AC4NCA) in Accra. The event, themed 'Harnessing Nature-Based Solutions: A Pathway to Sustainable National Development,' brought together government officials, policymakers, academics, private sector players, and civil society representatives to share experiences and explore practical pathways to use nature's potential to address the climate crisis while promoting inclusive economic growth.
Dr. Dery stated that the country had made significant progress in implementing its climate commitments under the Paris Agreement and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). He highlighted that Ghana had achieved an estimated 28.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emission reductions by 2024, representing 45 percent of the total Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) target. The progress was attributed to bold policy measures, strategic investments, and practical interventions that blended innovation, community engagement, and the power of nature.
Key initiatives such as the 'One Child, One Tree' programme, the Landscape Restoration and Small-Scale Mining Project, and the West Africa Coastal Areas (WACA) Resilience Investment Project were emphasized. These initiatives focus on restoring mangroves and wetlands in Keta and Ada to protect coastal livelihoods and biodiversity. Another project, the Improved Resilience of Coastal Communities Project, implemented with the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) and funded by the Adaptation Fund, uses mangrove replanting, shoreline vegetation rehabilitation, and early warning systems to build community resilience.
Dr. Dery identified financing, data and monitoring, and community participation as major challenges to scaling up NbS in Ghana. He noted that achieving Ghana's conditional NDC targets and NbS goals would require about US$15 billion by 2030. To address this, Ghana is developing a Biodiversity Finance Plan with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and has produced Ecosystem Services Accounts to place an economic value on the services nature provides.
Delivering the keynote address, Mr. Seidu Issifu, Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability, described Nature-Based Solutions as a transformative approach to addressing climate and developmental challenges simultaneously. He noted that the government firmly recognized that nature was not merely a passive victim of climate change but an essential part of the solution. Ghana had made a deliberate commitment to integrate NbS into national development and climate policies.
Mr. Issifu announced plans for a National Climate Change and Sustainability Hub, a centre of excellence to drive policy innovation, capacity building, and research coordination in Ghana's climate action efforts. The Africa Climate Dialogue aims to serve as a flagship platform for advancing nature-based climate action, policy innovation, and investment partnerships across Africa, positioning Ghana as a thought leader in integrating nature into national development.
Rev. Dr. Joyce Rosalind Aryee, Board Chair of AC4NCA, explained that the world continued to struggle with interconnected challenges of land degradation, biodiversity loss, and climate change, which directly affect food and water security, infrastructure, public health, and livelihoods across Africa. She emphasized the remarkable opportunities within these challenges and the Centre's readiness to work with governments, academia, the private sector, and development partners to accelerate the implementation of nature-based climate solutions in Ghana and across the continent.
Mr. Jakob Linulf, Danish Ambassador to Ghana, affirmed that the country had rich natural resources that needed protection and stated that Denmark was ready to support Ghana in achieving sustainable development while protecting its natural resources through nature-based solutions.